Adverse Reactions
by Deltagirl7
Summary: The Enterprise passes through an unusual energy mass and life on the Enterprise will never be the same again. Chapel/Spock/Kirk
1. Chapter 1

Adverse Reactions

_Deltagirl7_

_As usual everything belongs to you-know-who and not to me. _

Chapter One – Landing Party

Ship sensors had detected an unusual compound energy mass consisting of a collection of incubating star clusters saturated in anti-matter plasma. The Enterprise moved in to study the unique display and had become caught in its magnetic field. The system had flung it's plasma into the path of the ship, encompassed it and held it there for several days until it exhausted itself and retreated.

Captain Kirk navigated the ship from these erratic currents of plasma and initiated diagnostics and repairs before resuming normal operations and warp speed once again. Hull plating had been damaged as well as some life support and infrastructure on several decks.

As repairs got underway more and more crewman reported to sickbay with nausea, headaches and vomiting. Something about this particular flavor of radiation was making them sick and medical had issued a lot of pepto and pain meds. Spock and Christine worked together to analyze the medical data but had not determined anything other than radiation poisoning. Dr. McCoy, unable to determine any long-term affects of this plasma radiation sea, issued anti-radiation therapy and eventually these cases dropped off as they put distance between the ship and this unusual star mass. The ships computers continued to analyze the data and Dr. McCoy scheduled a series of follow up visits for all the victims. He found no lingering affects and entered his findings as "probably a combination of radiation exposure and space sickness." Within a few days everything was back to normal and the ship was traveling at warp speed once again.

It had been an exhausting week for everyone. All systems were on deck and longer duty shifts pressured everyone, the sick and well alike. After the last patient was released Leonard sent Chris home to sleep, and then collapsed himself into a bed in sickbay, on call, just in case.

Third shift stayed quiet and no more cases of radiation sickness came in over night. Nonetheless, Leonard had awakened tired and cranky. Chris came in pressed and refreshed and relieved Leonard for sleep, food and a shower. She called after him, "And don't come back until you've gotten rid of that crummy attitude, Doctor!" He glared back, knowing she was absolutely right. She did not see him for the rest of the day.

Toward the end of her shift a well rested Dr. McCoy strolled into the sick bay looking for Christine Chapel. "Chris, where are you?" he called.

"I'm here Doctor" she said coming out supply. "You look a lot better. I was just freshening up our linens, checking out the med carts and the emergency supply kits. Here is one I just replenished for you to take on your away mission."

"Chris, how would you like to go on the landing party tomorrow? I go all the time, and after the rush we had last week, couldn't you use a break? What'ya say?"

"Oh, Leonard! I'd love to go. I get so envious of you getting to see all these new places. I can't remember the last time I left the ship. Is it okay with the captain?"

"Already cleared it with him. He said it was a great idea, that you need some experience on landing parties. And he cleared it with Spock, so you're good to go. Get your day pack ready. They are getting an early start. Don't forget to take at least two liters of water and some energy bars. You're going to be surveying all day and you don't always know when the captain will let you get lunch. Be prepared, Girl Scout!"

The next morning Christine arrived at the transporter fifteen minutes ahead of schedule. She was dressed in the medical blue blouse and standard slacks with walking shoes. That short dress was just no good for scouting parties. She had thrown a shell and a few other essentials into her pack for rain or weather. They would break and beam back to the ship for lunch. There was no need for meal packs today, but she tossed in a few just in case, remembering what Leonard had said. She knew he often missed lunch on these missions and she didn't want to let a drop in blood sugar affect her work. She happily waited for the others to arrive.

Spock stepped off the lift to find Chapel already there. "Thank you for being prompt, Nurse," he said. "You will accompany the captain and me. Three other crewmen will take the southern peninsula, here." He indicated the location on the map. "Ah, here is the captain now."

"Miss Chapel, great to have you with us today. I guess McCoy is getting tired of us messing with his molecules, as he says." They stepped up to the transporter and shimmered away.

She hated the transporter, too. It felt weird to have your molecules messed with. Most medicals preferred to travel the old-fashioned way, but the transporters were more efficient. She didn't like the pins and needles feeling of becoming molecular. Today it seemed to tingle a bit too much, more like stinging than shimmering. She chalked that up lack of recent experience. She couldn't really remember the last time she was transported.

The teams split up and inspected different areas of this strange new wilderness. Some of the colors just weren't found in nature or anywhere else back at home. There were few complex life forms but abundant plant material. Christine noticed an abundance of ripened fruit of many varieties. She set to work cataloging size, shape, color, molecular makeup.

While cataloging she thought about the events that led her to this spot. Being on the ship was an exciting adventure she had never planned to take. Christine was just going to be a plain, simple doctor, like Leonard. Losing Roger had changed her plans, temporarily. Although she fully intended to complete her training at the end of this mission Christine was happy that she had taken this detour for so many reasons. Of course, she had found closure with Roger. She had hoped to find him alive and marooned somewhere. Finding him was a miracle in itself, finding him as a machine, devastating. Her medical and research duties had helped her get over the disappointment of losing him and she would never had been able to concentrate on med school had she returned right away.

She also found that she loved space travel. There was something about traveling faster that light that excited her, even though she had no idea how that was done. Heck, she was a doctor not an engineer. She didn't have to know anything about warp speed to travel at it! She had already decided to retain her commission and try to get the Enterprise when she came back. Leonard was already working on that. Christine had discovered she had a gift for healing humanoids of all species and there was only one way to do that, and that was in Star Fleet.

As she worked, Christine marveled at the diversity of life all over the universe. She was grateful to Leonard for this opportunity to experience some of it first hand today. She never got away missions. Jim, Spock and Leonard were like three little boys paling around the playground, a very big playground. She laughed out loud at the mental image.

She was deeply concentrating when she was hailed by the captain. "Chris, Team B is ready for lunch, how about you?"

"Captain, can you give me ten more minutes? I'd like to complete these scans so I don't have to come back to this co-ordinance."

"Excellent, please continue, Spock & I will come help. I'll send the others back now."

A few minutes later, Spock and the captain came into the clearing where she was working. "What can we do?" asked Spock.

"Well, I've made my way around this clearing from the left, so there are about a dozen more species to catalog over here and up to that far ledge and the foot of those cliffs. There is a thermal pool underneath I don't know if there are any thermopholes in the water. You can check that Mr. Spock."

It took the three of them just fifteen minutes to complete the scans. Captain Kirk hailed the Enterprise. "Scotty, we're ready now, three to beam up." he said.

"Uh, Captain?" said Scotty, "The transporter's down right now. We had some nasty burns on the last fellows that came back. I was hoping to get it done before you hailed, but I need a wee bit more time now Captain."

"How much more time, Mr. Scott?"

"Well, Captain, do you want the good news or the bad news first?" he said.

"This day just got longer," thought Kirk. "Give me the bad news first Mr. Scott."

"Well, Captain, the transfer coils in the semi-decondrometer rods are sparking. That means one of them is about to give out. Good thing no one was in the transporter when that happened. If I only need to change one out it will take the rest of the day, about six hours. I need to run diagnostics after that to determine the cause of the early failure of the rod. If it's more than one rod, it'll be longer and that would mean there is definitely a problem and then it could be forty-eight to seventy-two hours."

"That is very bad news Mr. Scott, so what is the good news?"

"The good news, Captain, is we caught this without a fatality."

"That is very good news Mr. Scott. Can you send a shuttle craft down to get us yet?"

"Negative, sir. The atmospheric plasma storm we encountered this morning has settled over the atmosphere of the entire planet. I wouldn't trust a shuttle craft inside it. You might be in for a bit of bad weather, too, Captain. You best find a good shelter."

"Thank you, Scotty. Please keep me informed of the progress on both options. I don't like getting stuck planet-side without provisions but we seem to be well set. Food shouldn't be a problem; we mapped plenty of ripe fruit and vegetation. Please tell Dr. McCoy we'll take good care of Miss Chapel and not to worry. Just work faster Scotty."

"Damn! Well, Spock, Christine, you heard all that. We'd best find shelter and water first off, just in case we're here over night.

"There shouldn't be a problem with food." said Spock. "These register as fit for consumption and they seem to be in-season." he said gesturing to the fruit laden trees.

"Mr. Spock, everything I've scanned today is safe and edible. It's all on the tricorder. Let me transfer my data to you to double check. She flipped a switch and the machines talked to each other a moment and fell silent.

"I am impressed by the amount of work you have accomplished today, Miss Chapel," said Spock. "Dr. McCoy would have talked incessantly the entire day with far less to show for it." He checked her analysis. "I agree, Miss Chapel, I believe any of these fruits will suffice. We cannot scan for taste, however, so we have an excellent opportunity to evaluate the cuisine ourselves. We should collect our dinner now and save ourselves a trip back this evening."

"Agreed, Spock" said the Captain. They each pulled a net bag from their packs and filled it with a wonderful variety of plump, ripe fruits.

After the bags were filled the team began to search for a shelter from the storm that might come. They started toward the nearby cliffs inspecting each overhang and indentation.

They found a series of caves near an ancient river bed. It had once been a massive lake but time had whittled it into a sliver of a river running through a wide valley that had eventually become the fertile rainforest they were exploring.

The party inspected several openings before discovering a small crystal studded cave. Each clear crystal gave off a light that reminded Christine of those old fashioned Christmas tree lights her grandmother had. It looked like diamonds studded the walls. Uhura had to see these recordings when they got back, she'd love it! Christine picked up a few of the broken off points. They still glowed. She dropped a handful into her pack. Surely they would want samples of these as well.

"Well, Christine," said Captain Kirk, "Never let it be said that we didn't put you up in style!"

"Captain, if we have to over-night here, we might as well sleep in the crystal palace. It looks like a movie set with sparkling lights and the little pool in the corner. What an adventure. Too bad we didn't pack our bathing suits!"

Spock stepped over to the pool. The water was clear blue. It bubbled up from below and spilled out the eroded trough that had drained it for hundreds of years. "Fascinating," he said, "One would expect to find a pool like this to be caustic, poisonous, but this one has minerals similar to those you would find in the baths at Lyons on your planet, or the Pools of Norbethop on Risa. It is perfectly safe for bathing. Perhaps there will be an opportunity for you to test it out later, Miss Chapel."

Kirk hid his grin as Christine blushed at the innocent implication of these words. "Well, I guess this is home for the night, people. Let's see if we can make it more comfortable. Sleeping on cold stone never really appealed to me."

"I wonder why there are no crystal points on the bottom?" asked Chris, "Maybe they were eroded away by water." She bent over to study the floor of the cave more closely. It was rough and looked like eons of erosion had worn the crystal tips away and polished down all the sharp edges. A tiny speck of light still shone in each of the worn points.

They stowed their packs in the cave and looked around for grasses, leaves and fibers that would cushion them from the stone floor that night. The sky was beginning to look stormy. Dark clouds were gathering overhead. They quickly found a field of tall grasses. They sliced cleanly through it with a thin beam from their phasers. They gathered the material and carried it back to their cave making several trips back to the shelter. Soon the hunter-gatherers each had enough padding to make the night a lot more pleasant.

Christine's stomach began to growl around sunset. "We've been so busy we didn't even have any lunch!" She said. "And my stomach is telling me it's dinner time. Shall we eat?"

They brought out the food and made a small fire. With sunset approaching and a storm advancing it was beginning to get dark. Rain and hail began to pelt outside the cave opening. The light of the fire reflected in the crystals and they were even more dazzling than before.

"These star shaped fruits are very good; sweet and juicy." said Christine. "They remind me of a cross between a grape and a mango," she said.

Jim roasted some vegetables in a sort of a kabob. They each had several of the kabobs, a variety of nuts and plenty of fruit.

After dinner, they pulled off their boots and sat at the fire quietly talking and nibbling on the left over food.

The call soon came from Scotty. Bad news - the transporter was down for awhile but the good news was they could probably send a shuttle for them in the morning. Fortunately, they would only have to spend one night in the cave.

About an hour after their meal, Christine noticed her vision change and she felt a strange warp-out of her consciousness. She felt light-headed, drugged- but not sleepy, definitely not sleepy. If anything she felt horny, very, very horny. She stole a glance at the captain and Spock who were shifting around as well. Kirk seemed to have a headache. He was rubbing his forehead the way he always does when he is tired or frustrated. Definitely frustrated! Spock tried to meditate but he was too distracted. With uncharacteristic impatience he stormed out of the cave. He could not understand what was happening to him, he just couldn't concentrate. It was a mistake to have Christine on the landing team; he couldn't take his eyes off her.

Christine was having trouble focusing as well. She got up and began to pace hoping to clear her head a little.

"What are you doing there Chapel?" asked the captain.

"I'm having difficulty concentrating, Captain, I'm trying to walk it off but I think activity makes it worse. All I can think about is sex and jumping your bones. My rational mind knows there is something wrong with that. I've never had those feelings for you. Something's very wrong with my brain chemistry. I am getting hornier and hornier and you are looking better and better by the minute. Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say you are unattractive, Captain! Just, oh, gee, I think you know what I mean. What about you?" she asked, as she reached for her medical tricorder.

"I admit I've been imagining you naked. And I don't think of you that way either, by the way. I'm definitely altered -drunk, high, stoned, whatever. Typically, I have nothing but professional appreciation for you, but right now I think I'd love to lick every inch of your lovely, uh, neck – _stop it_! I can't seem to think of anything right now but sex myself as you can see." She noticed he did have a big problem. She knew Spock was having a bigger one.

"Captain, I've been scanning the remaining food trying to wrap my brain around the data. It appears to be a hormone stimulator of sorts - an aphrodisiac, as we've already discerned. It seems the substance that is causing this is in everything – the food, the water, maybe even the air. We can't get away from it and I can't think straight enough to even try to estimate how much we've consumed or long this is going to last."

"And I'm very worried about Mr. Spock," said Christine. "If he is experiencing arousal at the same intensity we are, which I am pretty sure he is since he has left us, he could be in real danger. If his hormone levels get too far out of balance he could slip into some sort of pon farr event and that would be very, very bad."

"How do you know about that?" Kirk asked

"Well, after Mr. Spock's 'episode' I did my own research and learned everything I could about what had happened to him. I thought it might come in handy in the future." She said. "If he gets too crazy he might want fight you for the only girl on the planet." Christine felt dizzy, "Whoa, dizzy and can't concentrate," she took some deep breaths. "Do you think if we masturbated it would help?"

"Would you like me to help you with that?" he joked.

"Captain! I'm not sure it won't come to that. Spock said the water in this pool is similar to that in Lyons. That water is supposed to have magical healing properties. Maybe this water will revive us. If not, well, at least I'll already be naked when you come to ravage me!"

"You may as well call me Jim, Chris. I have a feeling it's going to be a long night and whatever happens we're probably going to know each other a whole lot better in the morning. I apologize now for anything I might do to you when I am out of my mind," he called.

Christine inspected the pool deciding if she could get in, and more importantly, out if she started having any difficulty. Jim watched her slip out of her clothes and knew that he would never make it until this stuff wore off. He'd never noticed before what a pleasing shape she had. He'd never even seen her in gym clothes or in the pool. Her breasts were round and firm and just the right proportion for her size; her legs muscular and she had nice definition to her butt. He thought she looked –tasty.

When she reached up to loosen her hair he thought it was the most magnificent mane he'd ever seen. It tumbled down long to below her shoulders in soft, pretty curls – wait, did that really happen in slow motion? The hair-do she wore everyday was not at all flattering to her. Maybe she did that on purpose. He watched as she carefully stepped into the water. "It's warm!' she called as her body disappeared under the surface. Her eyes fixed on him when she realized he had been staring at her, watching her undress.

"Are you okay? She asked. "Jim, are you okay?" He'd been fantasizing, hallucinating and hadn't heard her. She couldn't resist teasing him. "Do you want me Jim? Tell me how badly you want me, Jim."

"In the worst way!" he said hoarsely. "You're very beautiful, Christine – and hot, very hot. Why haven't I noticed you before now? Ah, I feel like I am losing my mind and I am afraid I will soon loose control of the situation. Now that you're naked, I find it's getting more difficult to..."

She heard him say something, having a hard time concentrating. "Get in the water with me," she said.

"Christine, Spock is sure to come back and if we are together it could, it will, provoke a fight if his mind is as scattered as mine. I'm not sure I could go for that fight right now."

"Jim, when he comes back I'll attend to him as well. If he sees us he will understand you are the captain and the dominant male. I guess we'll invite him to join us?" Had she said that out loud? Surely, she wouldn't, she couldn't, could she?

She didn't remember Jim walking over to her but suddenly he was in the water with her- when had he gotten in? He slipped his arms around her and kissed her passionately, their bodies twinning together. He was suddenly lost in the sensations of the softness of her lips, then her body.

Spock stood at the entrance of the cave watching them in the water. He knew he shouldn't watch, but he couldn't look away. He wanted to be the one in the pool with her. He wondered if Christine would ever agree to have him after the way he'd treated her. He wondered if she loved Jim now. And would she want him after Jim. Had he lost her? Would she be afraid of him now? Would she avoid him as others had? His thoughts raced and he could not find his logic. All he knew was that he needed her - wanted her right now and, wait, where had Jim gone? There was Christine but where was Jim? Spock knew that he needed immediate release or something bad would happen – what was it? He couldn't think, couldn't concentrate. What had happened to them? Why was he standing here naked?

She saw him in the entrance. She was asking him something but he couldn't hear her, he couldn't concentrate. He couldn't stop watching her mouth. He wanted to taste her. Her lips were moving, she was trying to talk to him. What was she saying, what was she saying. He tried to concentrate. She came over to him. She was saying - want me? Want me? You want me. Do you want me? He couldn't say it, why couldn't he say it? He nodded, yes. He was afraid. Why was he afraid? He didn't know. He closed his eyes just for just a moment, trying to concentrate, then, he was wrapped in her warmth.

He was hallucinating. He couldn't tell what parts were hers and which were his. He kissed her face, her hair, he thought he tasted tears. Looking into her eyes he thought he saw her soul. He cried out in his release, lost control of himself and touched her mind.

In his peripheral, Spock saw Jim rearranging their bedding. He pulled his space blanket from his pack, laid it over the grass, and motioned to Spock to put her there. He rummaged around for the one in Spock's bag.

Spock lifted her out of the pond and carried Chris to the nest Jim had made for them. He didn't know if he could share her with Jim, and yet Jim had yielded to him. Spock had never participated in any sort of group intimacy. He suspected Jim had. Jim seemed so much more sexually confident. He seemed to know exactly what was required. When the next wave of insanity hit he forgot all these considerations and addressed the more pressing need to couple, forgetting any restrictions of protocol. After, they rested entwined together until the next wave of desire hit them, then the next.

Christine woke up in a tangled heap of arms and legs and with a monster of a headache. Her head rested on Spock's shoulder, and though he rarely slept, this morning he was definitely sleeping in. To the right Jim snuggled behind her, his arm draped casually over her waist. She silently debated whether it was better to remember last night or not. They could all feign amnesia and not deal with the thought of what they had done with each other last night. She became aware of the soreness in her body, got up and slipped into the hot spring. It had not fended off the effects of the toxin but it was refreshing as the layers of stickiness washed off her. She tried not to think about the person she had been last night.

She hoped they would be rescued soon. The men began to stir and she imagined the awkwardness that would follow this morning. They got up slowly. Chris realized they must have hangovers as well.

The two naked men joined her in the pool. They tried to act naturally, like nothing had happened, but none of them had ever done this before and it was awkward for them all. Their rank and inhibitions returned at the same time.

"Now that we're all fully back," said Christine, "I've scanned all the native foods and the water. The basic chemical matrix is all the same. We didn't detect the compound because there is nothing in our data that relates to it. It's in everything. I think it would be best if we stick with emergency food packets and our own water we have until we are rescued, Captain."

"Agreed, we can't keep doing what we did last night, exciting as it was. Although, it might be interesting to study! I assume we sent samples back to the ship yesterday?" said Jim. Looking at her he began to feel a whisper of arousal. He wondered what it would be like to make love with Chris and Spock when they weren't all hopped up on some chemical. He wondered if he would have the nerve to initiate it. It would have to come from him. He wondered if they were thinking the same thing. Then he was back. "Uh, right, I suggest we prepare to depart so any lingering, uh, temptations will be directed elsewhere."

The men politely looked away as Christine got out of the pool and dressed. Jim sneaked a last peak at the most surprising woman he'd ever met. He did not see Spock watching her as well behind his hooded eyes.

They busied themselves until the call came two hours later. The shuttle was on its way.

Bones was waiting for them to report to sick bay. "Well, don't you three look all refreshed and well rested!" he exclaimed, "You look like you all just got la-," he stopped mid-sentence. He re-ran the kwic-scan over the three of them and his eyebrows rose all the way to his hairline.

"Well… does anybody have anything they want to tell me?" he demanded.

The trio looked sheepishly at each other, but no one spoke. Mr. Spock may have even blushed, he did look a bit greener for a moment.

Dr. McCoy looked a Christine. "Christine, is there anything you want to report? No? Which one of you is going to tell me what the hell happened down there 'cause I don't like what I am reading one bit! I didn't think I had to chaperone you three!"

"Not our fault, Bones," started the captain.

"The food and water were contaminated, Doctor," interrupted Chris, "A toxin was in everything we ate, but our sensors passed it all as 'safely within parameters'. We didn't know there was anything wrong until we had already ingested a large quantity of the native vegetables, fruits and nuts. Of course, by then it was too late."

"And none of you could control yourselves? Not even you Spock?" Leonard scrutinized Jim and Spock and Christine incredulously. They each examined their boots.

"Well, I need to get to the bridge," said Jim, "and I need to get a shower first. So, uh, fill him in, will you Chris?" He looked at Spock and Christine. "We'll talk later."

"Wait a minute, we still have debriefing to do!" the doctor called to the lift door. "Spock…"

Spoke added, "Yes, I- I need to check on an experiment." He darted out of sickbay faster than Dr. McCoy had ever seen him run from Christine.

He glared at Christine. "Spill, Christine," said Leonard. Chris related the events, leaving little out as she lay on the bio bed. She could feel the healing scans repairing tears and bruises as she explained. She didn't think his eyes could get any larger. "I don't know what to say Chris, except that I hope there isn't going to be a repeat performance?"

"I haven't really had time to mentally process anything, Leonard. I don't really feel like I'm completely myself yet. I feel like it was all a dream. You have to admit it was surreal and very sexy. I mean, Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock, together? Can you even imagine the three of us? – Wait, don't even make that picture! You know I've never had any kind of attraction to the captain. You also know I've been crazy about Spock for a long time. So, no, I don't think there will be a repeat. I'm sure Spock will be invisible for awhile until things get back to normal, if ever." she said. "Jim and Spock. Wow! I never imagined anything like that happening on a scouting mission. Never dreamed that's what you three have been up to," she teased.

"Hey, missy, don't go making up stories. Nothing like that ever happened. Well, not between us anyway. We're all guys, straight guys, don't forget it. We have gotten ourselves into trouble over the years, Chris, but this is a first. There have only been a couple of times there was any hanky panky. It's mostly the girls anxious to do Jim, power and all that. We did come close on Platonius, with Parmen's people. Thought he'd make us do stuff but thank goodness nothing ever happened."

They had never talked about that mission. They had all gone ahead with their lives and had put Platonius behind them. Only she and Spock knew what intimacy Parmen had really forced upon them and they never spoke of it. A silent agreement bound them and left them incomplete. If Leonard knew what had really happened he never let on. Strangely, never once during the night had Christine thought of that day.

Dr. McCoy took them all off duty and sent them to their quarters to recuperate. As luck would have it they met in the lift on the way to their quarters.

Chris spoke first, "Well, that was quite an away mission, captain. I thought that was an interesting compound we discovered. I would welcome an opportunity to study it, under more controlled conditions of course."

"Yes, Chapel. It would be an interesting toxin to study, especially in light of science never having adequately researched that field. I am sure it would be a profitable product for an unscrupulous company to develop." said the captain.

"It would be fascinating to study the control group on human compatibility without the benefit of the compound," said Spock with feigned innocence. "Tell me Christine, how are you feeling?"

"Why Mr. Spock, Dr. McCoy has declared me better than new," she said. "Perhaps we can have a cup of coffee and discuss a future experiment."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two – Expectations

Her forty-eight hours medical leave was up and Christine was anxious to get back to duty. She had ordered it for retuning landing party members many times before but this was the first time she had to endure the wait herself.

Christine entered sick bay to find several women waiting to see the doctor.

"Must be something going around, Chris," he said as he followed the first patient into the exam room. Christine joined him and assisted in the exam. The primary symptom was nausea and vomiting. It didn't take Dr. McCoy long to determine his patient was expecting.

"What!" she screamed, "How can that be? My contraceptive routine is current. I just can't be. Maybe your instruments need calibration. Please let that be it!" Star Fleet regulations required pregnant crewman to be put ashore as soon as possible. There were no facilities for families and no place for children on a star ship. It meant this crewman's career in space was over. Dr. McCoy double checked his results which were the same the second time. He gave her information and Christine made another appointment for her the following week.

The next patient also complained of nausea and vomiting and received the same diagnosis and a follow-up appointment.

"Dr. McCoy, what are the odds of two women on a star ship becoming pregnant at the same time?" asked Christine.

"I'm sure Spock will tell us later. After this last patient I want you to sort patient files for batch numbers on the contraceptive doses. Let's see if we got a bad batch, God forbid. This could be very bad!"

Bones called in the last patient. Nausea and vomiting! Diagnosis: Pregnancy! The Enterprise had an epidemic on its hands.

Three women pregnant at the same time! Christine spent the rest of the day sorting through medical files. The women on the ship had received contraceptives from six different batches. These had been stocked when they left base and had been used over the past fourteen months. The three women had received three different batches of the medication. Could it all have been contaminated? Dr. McCoy informed the captain of the incidents and placed a communication to the Surgeon General of the Federation. He needed information from the manufacturer. Had other batches been contaminated? What about the rest of their supply? Would they have to test their whole stock? There were so many questions.

By the next day several more women had been to see the doctor. There were six pregnant women on the Enterprise and Star Fleet was growing concerned. The manufacturer had assured them that none of the batches assigned to the Enterprise was contaminated. Perhaps something happened in transit or aboard ship. Headquarters was questioning Dr. McCoy's record keeping and his competency.

By the third day seven more women had come in for treatment. By the end of the week the Enterprise was incubating twenty-three babies! Everyone in medical had met with the captain, had video conferenced with headquarters and spoken with the surgeon general.

Science and medical teams worked together to discover just what had happened and when. It occurred to Spock that perhaps the anti-matter plasma they had encountered had something to do with this. Some of the pregnant women had indeed come to sick bay with multiple symptoms at that time. In the end everyone agreed that was the only logical explanation for the total system failure of the enterprise contraceptives.

The only question was why had some women become pregnant and others had not? Of course someone had to interview every woman on the ship to determine her sexual habits and more. Christine discovered that those who had become pregnant had participated in sexual relations and those that had not become pregnant had simply not had sexual relations within the same time frame. She charted the dates and ran the analysis.

Dr. McCoy popped in for the results of the analysis and found Christine ashen and staring at the computer screen. He looked at the results and dug for his medical scanner. A quick pass made him shoo her to the bio-bed. As Christine struggled to come to grips with being the twenty-fourth crew member caught in this plasma web baby boom Dr. McCoy gathered her medical data.

"You are pregnant," he said. "You already knew that from the data you just cataloged. I don't know why you're so much later than the others. Your eggs must have been fertilized at very literally, the last moment of viability."

She sighed, "Lucky me. Okay, give it to me, who is the father, Spock or Jim?"

"Christine, honey, there's just no easy way to say this; you're having twins, fraternal twins."

"Fraternal twins?" Her mind jumped to an unthinkable situation. "Oh, no. No, no, no! This is not happening!"

"A boy for Jim and a boy for Spock." Neither spoke for a long time.

"I think someone's going to notice one human baby that looks like Jim and one Vulcan baby. Do you have any idea what they're going to say? I can hear it now- all the comments about the three of us. Oh, Leonard, what am I going to do?"

"You can apply for termination if you want it. Star Fleet has given every pregnant crewman has that option in this case. This was hazardous duty and beyond their control. Only one crewman has requested it."

"I can't do that Leonard. This is a gift and we don't know why this has happened to all of us yet. It's just that, well, I have plans, had plans."

"There is no reason you can't continue on with those plans. You will have some kind of settlement with Star Fleet over this. They are going to want to study all the babies for a long time due to the unusual circumstances of their conception, and just the radiation dose alone. This is not for the grapevine yet, but I am telling you – Star Fleet says we are too far out to be recalled, even for twenty-three, uh, twenty-five unplanned babies. They have told us to deal with it. They want us to re-assign guest quarters to make room for babies and they want us to reassign duty rosters to accommodate the mothers and fathers. We are not due back to Earth for eighteen to twenty months. They want to take advantage of our predicament and study the possibility of permanent on-board families. Congratulations, Christine, you're about to change Star Fleet policy! Don't ask me how we are going to manage. It's not like we can make a call and get temps to help out."

"Oh, Leonard, this is going to be so embarrassing; the gossip, the whispers, the eyebrows. What happened on that planet was just between us, now it's going to be paraded all over Star Fleet. Every place we go, everybody we meet will be gossiping about me screwing the captain and the first officer. There will be hundreds of dirty jokes about us. There will be dirty jokes about the Enterprise. There will be insinuations about Jim and Spock. All our professional reputations will be in shambles! What am I going to do?"

"For now, you don't have to do anything except go and tell them they are going to be fathers. The three of you will have to decide what to tell and what to keep to yourself. It's your business and no one has to know anything you don't want to tell them. I would imagine one of them will want to marry you, maybe both. Maybe you could have a plural marriage. Those are recognized by Star Fleet."

"They are if you're from Dendron III and a follower of their prophet Kantro Artera, which we're not, Leonard."

"You could convert. Think of it – two husbands! Think of the possibilities! You will be the envy of every woman on the ship."

"You're only thinking of what it would be like with two wives. You couldn't keep up Leonard."

"Yes, but you're the girl. They have to keep up with you, he said. "Go on home and figure out what you're going to tell them. Let me know when you've done that. I don't want to let the cat out of the bag."


	3. Chapter 3

Adverse Reactions

_Deltagirl7_

_As usual everything belongs to you-know-who and not to me. _

Chapter 3 – Change of Plans

Christine paced the room waiting for Jim and Spock to arrive thinking about how they got to this point. A few days after their rescue they had met in the captain's quarters and tried to discuss what had happened on the planet. Each had quietly determined not to repeat their encounter. They needed to come to some completion with each other. They spoke openly about the encounter and after a couple of glasses of wine they finally reached the unasked question – How did they feel about each other and were they going to do it again?

"Chris, it's important for me to know if you feel used or abused by me, us?" asked Jim. "The whole experience was wildly exciting, but how much of that desire was our complete lack of inhibition, due to the drug? Was it a Penthouse moment or do we have another go?" Even as he asked himself those questions he was becoming aroused, but was it a memory of that night, or anticipation of possible sex tonight?

Spock seemed uncharacteristically open to this new intimacy. "Indeed, I was certainly not myself," he said. "We need a control. We would need to experience an encounter without the aphrodisiac in order to determine our true compatibility." Christine had always had an arousing effect on him, that's why he'd always avoided her. Being close to Christine always threatened to crack his resolve. It was then quite difficult to concentrate.

She studied them. Were they asking her to -? "Should we?" she said taking a sip of wine. "I- I don't, didn't feel used at all. It was as if you both knew just what I wanted and did it. Frankly, it was the best sex I've ever had. I almost feel as if I took advantage of you."

Taking the drink from her hand and wrapping his arm around her waist Jim pulled her to him and kissed her with his best make-you-want-to-f-me kiss. He did not feel at all inhibited about slipping his hand beneath her shirt.

If Chris had ever questioned whether she was turned on by James Kirk, those thoughts were gone now. The man knew how to make love to a woman. One hand danced through her hair as the other fondled her breast. His warm breath in her ear made her thighs part ever slightly allowing him to rub against her.

Spock noticed he actually enjoyed watching them. He finished his glass and came up behind her, nibbling her neck as he lifted the shirt over her head.

That night the three discovered that they were indeed, compatible. Perhaps they'd been changed by their experience on the planet. Perhaps their chemistry had changed due to the ingestion of the compound. Perhaps they had simply found one another good company. They managed to find time to be together a few more times over the next few weeks. Now, Christine was often seen at the captain's table. Others attributed that as a result of being stranded together on the away mission, no doubt. Even Dr. McCoy was unaware of the major change in their relationship. They had been that discreet. They were having such fun together! Chris knew it was just a temporary fling, they all did. She had already arranged to leave the ship the next time they were near Earth. Her transfer was approved months ago. She was going back to school to finish her M.D. and that would likely be the end of that. But now-

Christine had reserved a small dining room and arranged a light supper for them. She nervously waited for them to arrive and went over her plan again on how to tell them her news.

Jim and Spock arrived together. They had stopped at their quarters to shower and change. Christine greeted them with a kiss and a glass of wine and sat them down to dinner. At the end of the meal she poured the last of the bottle, took a deep breath and began.

"I'm sure you are wondering why the impromptu private dinner. As you both know there is a deep space baby boom on the Enterprise right now.

I just don't know how to tell you that the three of us are now personally involved. I called you both here tonight to tell you that I'm pregnant." Silence.

Deep breath, "All right," said Jim. "Which of us is the father?"

She look from one to the other, "Both of you. I'm afraid we're having fraternal twins and you're each going to be the father of a son."

Kirk grinned and said, "Christine, do you mean, Spock is the father of my son's half brother? Sounds like an old Earth joke. Oh, my, God, what does that make us, Spock?"

"I believe the punch line is, screwed, Jim?" he said. "This is not entirely unexpected. When reports of the pregnancies first began to come in I considered the probability of pregnancy resulting that first night on the planet. I was prepared for that eventuality. Each encounter since then has multiplied those odds. I have been considering my reaction should this situation arise. I hope, Christine that you will agree to marry me."

"What about me? I want to marry you, too," said Jim. "Maybe we can have a plural marriage, how'd that be?"

"None of our cultures accept a plural marriage, gentlemen. Even if we marry on a planet where it is acceptable culturally, for our children, it is not a good choice for us, for our careers, or for the federation."

"It is logical for you to marry me Christine. I will inherit a title, a vast estate and a great deal of wealth and property. I will be, as they say, filthy rich. However, according to Vulcan law, an illegitimate child cannot inherit. I could not give my child his legacy if you do not marry me, whereas, on Earth, there is no cultural restriction. Jim may pass anything to his son that he desires. Both can receive his inheritance if you choose me."

"Jim?" Christine looked for his reaction. Was he disappointed? "You have a responsibility to Star Fleet and you have a reputation to consider. Like it or not, you are a Star Fleet hero and a celebrity. It would be unseemly for you to accept a plural marriage. Your enemies would see it as a sign of weakness for your woman to have two husbands. This will become common knowledge throughout the universe the moment we all start having babies. They are going to milk this for all the publicity it can garner, you know that. It's a big story and everybody's going to be talking about it. That you and Spock are involved, well, that's just too juicy to pass up. Jim, you're already married to this ship and so are you Spock. Both of you will be back in space and I will be on Earth, without either of you with me. That's okay, because that was my plan, sort of. I was going to come back to the ship, after the degree was done. So my plans have changed a little bit now."

"Chris," said Jim, "Star Fleet will be compensating the mothers and fathers affected by this. That means financial and other accommodations. As you know we are the case study. It's sort of skewed, because there will never again be twenty-five babies born on a star ship at the same time, I hope. But if we can make this work for the next eighteen months it will change everyone's lives. I was not an advocate of families on star ships. It's too dangerous. But I might have a different opinion when I have to leave my own wife and child on Earth for years so I can do my job. And yes, even though you're going to marry Spock, I will still think of you as my wife, too. You're going to be the mother of my child after all. Is that okay Spock?"

"Jim, you will always have a room in our home. Our sons will be brothers. We will be forever bonded with one another."

"A little Jim and little Spock running around headquarters! They'll be infamous from the day they are born, gentlemen. People are going to notice a little Jim Kirk and a little Spock wherever we go and they are going to gossip. It will be embarrassing. No one knows what happened, not even Uhura. I was thinking if we tell her how it happened she can, and will, spread the story of our being innocent victims in the wrong place at the wrong time, which we actually were. We never planned to be together. This conception happened on the planet, not playing house on the ship. We stress that, then, when the babies come there's no nasty gossip, no dirty jokes about us. We'll be innocent victims making the best of things. Doesn't that spin sound better?"

"Excellent logic, Christine. While I am typically unaffected by ship gossip I can see it would have an adverse affect on ship morale to have the appearance of improper behavior, and we do not impugn the integrity of the Enterprise." said Spock, "Yes, that is an excellent plan Christine, quite logical."

"I agree," said Jim, "Do we leak that information now, after the wedding, after the births?"

"Pull the bandage off quickly, Jim," said Christine. "They will have time to get used to the idea and they won't feel like we've been hiding it from them."

"Well, I still have the biggest bed on the ship," said Jim, "Anyone want a nightcap?"

"I will pass tonight, Jim." said Spock, "But you and Christine are welcome to spend the night together."

Spock went to his quarters to contact his parents. They needed to know his situation and that he would be bringing a wife and grandchild to them on his next visit.


	4. Chapter 4

Adverse Reactions

Chapter Four

I don't own them I just play with them.

Sorry to take so long finishing this story, life happens! Here is a little filler while I work on the next chapter. More to come!

As Spock waited for his call to be processed he considered what he would tell his parents. He was Vulcan, after all, and should not feel embarrassed to have this conversation, and yet, he recognized his reluctance to discuss the details with them. His decision to marry Christine was not only logical but desirable to him. He wondered how long their relationship with Jim would continue. After they married it could be somewhat awkward however, they were all quite comfortable with each other now. No woman ever held Jim's interest for very long and he was soon on to the next flower. This time might be different. Christine was different. This time he had a child to consider. This time Jim couldn't just say goodbye. Spock considered how their relationships were going to change. He considered all the alternatives of the situation. In the end the scene would just have to play it self out. Christine would have the bulk of the responsibility of the children. She knew that better than they did. Wasn't that always the case in ancient times? The men went off to sea or to war leaving the women to fend for themselves and their children. But she wouldn't be alone. She would have them when they were in port. They would certainly communicate often. He was already familiar with negotiations in the Federation regarding this catastrophe. These families were going to be closely studied. Each of these babies would receive benefits to help with the disruption of their parents' careers and occupations. This would mean for Christine, quarters, childcare and other help since the fathers were deployed in critical positions. Also, Spock knew that Amanda would want to be on Earth as often as possible. She would treat Jim's son as her own grandchild. Of that he was certain.

The com alert pulled him out of his thoughts and he found himself looking into his mother's eyes.

"Spock, how nice to hear from you, son. It isn't even my birthday! Is everything all right?" asked Amanda.

"Mother, is Father there with you? I must speak with you both. It is very important."

"I am present, Son," announced Sarek. "Please tell us; to what do we owe this pleasant surprise?"

"Father, are you aware of the events taking place on the Enterprise this fortnight?" asked Spock.

"Are you referring to what is being called the Enterprise "baby boom?" asked Sarek.

"Baby boom?" said Amanda. "What is happening on that ship, Spock?"

"Yes, Mother. The Enterprise encountered an unusual plasma system. An unfortunate and unforeseen side effect of exposure to the plasma radiation is increased fertility. It rendered female birth control ineffective by stimulating female hormone production resulting in twenty-three of our crew becoming pregnant. The Federation has decided to take advantage of our predicament and study the effects of families on the operation of a starship. In a very short time there will be twenty-four new members on this ship. We will not encounter another Federation vessel in 18 months. The babies will be toddlers before we return to port."

"Do you mean the Enterprise is not being recalled? Didn't you say twenty-three pregnancies? Whatever are you going to do with twenty-three babies with no grandparents on board?"

"As it turns out Mother, there are twenty-four babies. There is a set of twins expected."

"Oh Spock, Captain Kirk must be beside himself," she laughed. "But why are you telling us this?"

Spock took a very deep breath. "Mother, I have contacted you to give you the uncomfortable news that you are going to be grandparents." Spock paused waiting for his parents of comprehend what he had just told them. His parents looked at one another. How did this happen? They seemed more surprised their son was having sex. But that it resulted in a grandchild- well, that was quite a bonus!

"Spock, as you would expect, we are stunned. May I ask, who is the mother of our grandchild?"

"Christine Chapel is the mother." His mother smiled. She had long hoped he would open his eyes and his heart to Christine. Amanda already knew of Christine's affection for him and had always thought she would be good for him; good to him. Now she would be a member of the family. Christine was going to give her the long awaited grandchild. Sarek showed no outward display of pleasure in this news but he was overjoyed that his house would soon have an heir.

Spock thought he detected a slight rise in his father's brow. He took a deep breathe. "There's more." Spock then relayed the most unbelievable story to them – How they'd gotten stranded on the planet; how they'd eaten the toxin; how badly they'd behaved afterward. He left out most of the sordid details and the part where they'd continued their relationship but he surmised they would not be oblivious to that fact.

"Mother, Christine is the one having twins. The difficulty is only one of them is mine. Captain Kirk is the father of the other child." He paused to allow the implications set in. "You see the difficulty. I am telling you this to prepare you for the awkwardness that will surely follow. The uniqueness of the situation has the potential to be an embarrassment to each of us."

"Yes," answered Sarek, "There will certainly be questions. You must tell us what you'd have us say Spock." He knew gossip like this would spread quickly through coms throughout the galaxy as soon as someone noticed a Vulcan baby with a human twin brother who looked like the famous Captain Kirk. Within two minutes of their first public outing the news would find its way back to Vulcan.

I have asked Christine to marry me. I explained our Vulcan customs and she and Jim have agreed this is the most logical solution. We will have a civil ceremony on the ship and have a Vulcan ceremony at the earliest opportunity. "

"Son, what does Captain Kirk think of this plan? Will he accept and honor your marriage or will he fight for her?"

"Jim and I have an understanding Father. I do not believe we have spoken the end of it yet. Christine refused a plural marriage we offered her. She pointed out the enemies of the Federation would consider him weak if his wife had another husband. It would not bode well for my own reputation. Regardless, there will be enough innuendo to go around."

"I agree with Christine's logic Spock. I've always thought of Dr. Chapel with the highest regard. She has always made our travel most comfortable by becoming familiar with our customs and cuisine. Are you prepared for the curiosity of others; for the innuendo, the questions, and the stares?"

"Father, these things have always been a part of my life. I am quite accustomed to the background talk. We will manage, as they say. I have lived all my life with this type of scrutiny. It will not be anything I have not already encountered."

"What are the plans upon your return Spock?" asked his father.

"Before this incident Christine had already made arrangements to return to the Academy to complete her medical training. She's been accepted to the program and has received advanced placement due to the work she'd done on the Enterprise. Dr. McCoy has given her increased responsibilities and opportunities to practice medical treatment. These have been counted in her records. She needs 1.78 standard years to be fully accredited after which she can be assigned to a post. The children will be nearly two years old when we return. It is very likely she can proceed with her plans. If this experiment is a success it is likely we will have an opportunity to serve on the same ship. The boys will be four years then."

"Spock, two babies are going to make life very difficult for her. I hope you two will not be dumping them on her and expect her to carry the whole burden." said Amanda.

"Mother, I was only informed of this 2.46 hours ago. We have only had one conversation as yet. We are all stunned by the news but be assured Jim and I will do the right thing."

"I know you will, dear. Spock, is it acceptable to you if I call Christine and offer my support? She is going to need some help as she completes her training and I am going to want to spend a lot of time with my two grandsons!"

"Thank you Mother, for accepting my son's brother. They will have a difficult time enough with the circumstances as they mature. The Enterprise baby boom story will never fade because of the unique situation and they will always bear the burden of their unusual conception, dual birth, and famous sires. This will be a trial for all of us as we navigate the inquisitive public and persistent paparazzi. They will require all the love and affection you both can muster." He noted his father's reaction to this last sentence. Spock was certain his son would know more acceptance from Sarek than he had. He realized for the first time what Sarek must have experienced having produced a half-human child in a Vulcan world. This time Sarek would be better prepared and somewhat tempered by his own experiences.

"We will make arrangements to be on Earth at the appropriate time. I will contact T'Pau to arrange the Vulcan bonding ceremony and for guidance regarding the boys. Is there anything else son?" asked Sarek.

"Thank you, Father, for allowing me dignity in this awkward situation. Mother. Live long and prosper Sarek."

As the screen faded, Spock contemplated a vision of Sarek playing with his grandsons. The boys would be raised to respect Vulcan dignity but he suspected grandfathers and their grandsons might have a more relaxed and playful relationship, even Vulcan ones.


End file.
